Foldable reel



Feb; 15, 1949. J. c. HANCOCK Z,4619979 FOLDABLE REEL Filed June 21, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lie , Feb. 15, 1949. J. c. HANCOCK 2,461,979

' FOLDABLE REEL Filed June 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE REEL James C. Hancock, Roanoke, Va.

Application June 21, 1946, Serial No. 678,415

This invention relates in general to reels and in particular to those of the folding type which are particularly suitable for use in winding on wet fish lines and the like to dry.

The general object of the invention is to provide a foldable reel which is of simple construction and which may be manufactured easily and at low cost.

Another object is to provide a reel which may be quickly erected from its folded position and vice versa. A more specific object is to provide a reel of the class described having a plurality of arms which extend radially from a common support spindle that serves as a handle for holding it, and in which the arms may be easily and quickly moved from a nested position to predeter mined spaced angular positions about the spindle axis to thereby erect the reel.

Still another object is to provide a reel of the folding type in which all of the parts are safely secured together when folded, thereby obviating all possibility of losing any of them when the reel is being carried in its collapsed condition. Still another object is to provide a reel of the class described which may be knocked-down from its erected position without removing any of the parts. Yet another object is to provide a reel that folds flat when knocked down and which may be stored in a small space.

These and other objects and advantages of improved reel construction will become apparent from the detailed description which follows when considered with the drawings which show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings, Figs. 1-6 illustrate one form of a reel constructed in accordance with the invention, in which Fig. l is an isometric view showing the manner in which the reel is used when erected; Fig. 2 is also an isometric view of the same reel when erected, but drawn to a somewhat larger scale; Fig. 3 is a side elevation show ing the reel when folded; and Figs. 4-6 are elevations of each of the several arms which constitute the reel.

Figs. 7-9 illustrate a modified form of the invention, in which Fig. '7 is an isometric view of the reel as erected, while Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary views, in plan, of the reel arms showing alternative arm constructions for the assembly shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to Figs. 1-6, the improved reel is comprised of a spindle I0, one end of which is threaded as at Illa, while the other end Illb is finished smoothly to form a hand member by which the spindle is grasped when the reel is used,

the

1 Claim. ((31. 242--'-115) I as shown in Fig. 1.

with a collar or shoulder I00.

A sheet metal plate II, shaped generally in the form of an equilateral triangle is' provided for spacing three radially extending reel arms I2, I3 and I4 apart about the spindle axis. One corner of the plate II is formed with ears I5, I6-that are bent over to form a closed channel, and by which the plate is securely held to arm I2 as shown in Fig. 4. Arm I2, which is preferably made from. light weight rod stock such as aluminum has an eye I20. in one end which registers with the central opening Ila in the plate II. The other two cort here of plate II are crimped to provide open channels I! and I8 which receive and hold the two other arms I3, I4 in spaced angular position relative to arm I2 when the reel is erected. Arms I3. M are likewise formed with eyes I3a, Ma, respectively, and all three of the arms together with plate I I are adapted to be mounted adjacent each other on the threaded end portion Illa of spindle I0 as shown in Fig. 3. The shoulder portion I00 formed on'the spindle acts as a stop for the eye portions of I2-I4, and a wing nut 2| is provided to clamp the arms on the spindle when the latter are nested or folded as shown in Fig. 3 and also to maintain the arms in their predetermined spaced angular positions on the spindle after the reel has been erected.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the open channels IT, IS formed in plate II face in the opposite direction from the closed channel which is formed by the bent-over ears I5, I 6; thus when assembling the arms IZ-M on spindle I0, arms I3, I4 are put on first, followed by arm I2 and the plate II secured thereto, the plate being positioned with the open channels I1, I8 facing in the direction of arms I3 and I4.

The opposite end portions of the arms I2 and I3 are bent angularly'outward of the threaded end of spindle I0 and thnback upon themselves so as to provide, portions I212, I3 1) that lie parallel with the longitudinal axis of the'spindle Ill. The opposite end of arm It is bent angularly in a direction inwardly of the threaded end of the spindle Ill i. e. towards handle Iflb, and then back upon itself so as to also provide a portion I lb parallel with the spindle axis.

It will be noted, in particular from Fig. 3, that arms IZ-M are bent in such manner that the radially extending shank portions of the arms are centrally located with respect to their axially extending end portions I2b, I31) and Mb, and that the arms are further bent back upon themselves Spindle I0 is also provided at both ends of the axial portions to form guides I 2c-l4c which prevent the line from slipping off the reel after it has been wound on. Also the outer end of one of the arms, such as arm I 4 extends for a short distance parallel with the spindle to provide a handle Md by which the reel is rotated.

The maner of operation of the reel should now be obvious. The reel is ordinarily carried in the folded position show'n in Fig. 3 with the reel arms [2-H nested together and clamped tightly to the spindle I by wing nut 2|. When it is desired to erect the reel, wing nut 2| is loosened} arm I3 is rotated on the spindle l0 and placed in channel 18, and arm I4 is similarly rotated and 1 23' and 25' are provided with sets of bosses 29,

placed in its channel l1. Allof'the arm's would then be in the position showninFig. 2 -and-are tightening of wing nut 2| clamps the arms l 3 and H in their respective channels I1, l8 againstthe shoulder portion I00 on. the spindle. To wind on the line 22, spindle lfl'is held loosely inone hand, the handle Md'isgra'spediintheother and the line 22 is wound on as shown in Fig? 1 by applying. a'rotary motion to the reel about-the spindle axis.

When the line is dry,- it may then-be removed.

difier'ent constructions are used for locating the' reel arms intheir spaced angular positions. Referring now to Figs. 7-8, and in particular to Fig. 7, the reelis seen to comprise of a spindle of the same construction as that shown in Figs; 1-3 and hence all parts of the spindle, and the wing nut have been designated by like reference characters.

The reel arms 23--25 which are T-shaped are stamped from sheet metal or maybe made of molded plastic as distiguished from the rod construction shown in the first embodiment. These arms have holes 23a,25a at one end for assembly.

on the threaded portion' lfla of the spindle and are turned through 90 attheir other end'adjacent-thecross piece of the T to provide winding surfaces 23b25b for the lineto be'dried. Finger portions 23c-25c on the arms are provided to prevent the line from'slipping off of the reel-and one ofthe arms such as arm 24 also includes a handle portion 26 by which the reel'is rotated.

As with-the previously described-embodimentshown in Figs. l-G, one of the reel arms is provided withmeans whereby-the-other'two arms maybe easily located in spacedangular positions relative thereto, the arms-being 120 apart. Thus-- as-is shown in Fig;-:.8 opposite face portions of the middle arm 24-adjacent the spindle opening 24a- 30 as in Fig. 8 but the middle arm 24' has two sets 31;32 of drilled openings in lieu of the dimple sets for receiving the sets of bosses shown in Fi'giS. Otherwise the construction is the same asthat shownin-Figs. 7 and 8.

The alternative arm constructions shown in Figs'i d-a'n'cl 9 operate in the same manenr. Thus for example, when arms 23 and 25 according to the Fig; 8' construction are adjusted to positions about the spindleaxis relative-to arm 24 such that the complementary sets of bosses and-dim ples mate, the arms asshown in'Fig. 7 will be apart and may be secured in this position by tightening thumb nut 2| which clamps the arms against the shoulder on the spindle ll): The reel shown in Fig. '7 is used in the same mannerasthe'one illustrated in Fig. 1.

In conclusion, I wish it to be'understood that while I have described and illustrated certain prefe'rred embodiments of the invention, various changes inthe construction and arrangement of" parts maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the'in'vention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a reel of the class described, a'spindle form'- ing'a'hand member, three reel arms mounted on said spindle adjacent each other and adjustable angularly about the'spindle axis, a generally triangular shaped plate mounted on said spindle, one of said arms being secured to said'plate at one corner portion thereof and the'other two arms being adapted to be received in recesses provided' at the other corner portions of said plate tothereby locate said other two armsin spaced angular positions about the spindle axis, and means clamping said arms and plate to said" spindle.

JAMES C. HANCOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the' file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number Name Date 325,394 Cavalli Sept. 1, 1885 697,274 Priestley Apr. 8, 1902. 745,825 Guthrie Dec. 1, 1903 1,286,085 Peters Nov. 26,1918 2,282,147 Quentin et 'al May 5,1942 

